ash.reads.horror | Not Your Final Girl

Not Your Final Girl

Mikayla Randolph

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A feminist slasher novel fueled by female rage and haunted by gruesome murders, in this contemporary reimagining of Tess of the D’Urbervilles there can only be one Final Girl.Darcy and her high school friends haven’t gathered together in seven years. After a tragic murder on prom night, the group graduated and never looked back. But when the lakeside cabin they spent their summers at is put up for sale, they reunite for one last hurrah.Darcy hopes it will be an inspiring weekend that will help them all move on from their shared trauma. But Ashley, her biggest tormentor and the group’s manipulative self-appointed leader, is sure to stir up trouble. After a first day filled with jealousy, heartbreak, and unexpected guests, tensions are bursting, and the feud between Darcy and Ashley resurfaces.The reunion takes a sinister turn when a masked killer slaughters one of their own. Cut off from the outside world with the death toll rising fast, the terrified friends turn on each other and uncover long buried secrets. Someone is seeking justice for their past betrayals and with friends like these no one is safe in this dark-femme slasher for fans of Maeve Fly by CJ Leede and The Indian Lake Trilogy by Stephen Graham Jones.

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ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • May 16

\ \ Welcome back to another author interview! Today I'm joined by author Mikayla Randolph as we talk about her debut novel, Not Your Final Girl.\ \ \ \ 1. I always use this first question as a chance for you to introduce yourself. Say as much or as little as you want.\ \

Hello! I’m an author based out of California who writes horror, fantasy, and thrillers. My favorite stories blend genres, invert tropes, and feature complicated characters, all while being a bloody good time. Beyond writing, I love adding too many books to my TBR pile, reading while cuddling with my dogs, and waffling between wanting to travel the world and wanting to never leave the house.\ \ 2. Your debut book Not Your Final Girl released May 5th. How have you been feeling? Excited? Overwhelmed? Everything in between?\ \ Yes! Absolutely everything, and it changes by the second. I’m frazzled, but mostly I’m feeling incredibly grateful. It’s a lifelong dream coming true, and I’m blown away by the support I’ve received. Close friends, family, former teachers, authors I've never even met, and so many members of the horror community, like you, have been so kind. The generosity and camaraderie have been astounding, and I appreciate it all so much.\ \ 3. What made you choose a slasher for your debut novel?\ \ A slasher has been on my bucket list for a long time. My first stab at it was in college, and I think it frightened my poor roommate, who was not a horror fan. Since then, I’ve written a few other novels, from a post-apocalyptic story to a western, but once this idea clicked, there was no turning back. It was such a smooth writing process, too; it bled right out of me.\ \ 4. Any specific films or media that helped influence your novel?\ \ There were so many influences, and most don't seem like they belong together. Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’urbervilles was a primary inspiration, with this being a partial retelling. Beyond that, Scream, Heathers, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, and Men, Women, and Chainsaws by Carol J. Clover. Plus every slasher novel, movie, show, or game that I’ve enjoyed since I was far too young for them to be appropriate.\ \ 5. What was your favorite scene to write? The hardest? \ \ Oh, that is difficult to answer and remain spoiler-free! For my favorite, I’ll say there is a scene with a shed, a wheelbarrow, and a surprise that was a lot of fun to write. The hardest was most likely the opening pages because I wanted to immerse the readers in that epic Final Girl climactic moment while introducing new characters.\ \ 6. Who was your favorite character to get inside the mind of? \ \ I loved them all, and bouncing between them was such a fun experience. It felt like I got to write five books in one! If I had to choose, I'd say Ashley because she challenged me the most. She is so confident and unrelenting that writing her perspective made me question how I phrase things and second-guess myself. I hope a bit of her spirit has stuck with me.\ \ 7. Are you currently working on any other projects at the moment? If so, can you drop us any hints?\ \ I’m currently querying my next novel, which I think of as a witchy X-Men horror noir. I'm also revising an "Eat the Rich" haunted house novella.\ \ 8. Tell us what you've been reading lately? Your favorite 2026 book? What books are on your backlist?\ \ I finally caught up on Something is Killing the Children and am enjoying Look What You Made Me Do, the Taylor Swift inspired horror anthology from Sobelo Books. My favorite book thus far is probably King Sorrow by Joe Hill. Sadly, I have far too many on my backlist, like Little Eve by Catriona Ward, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Gr a ham Jones, and Writhe by Abby Vail. I'm a terribly slow reader and can't seem to stop buying more books. But I refuse to feel bad about it because even if I can never read them all, they look pretty on my shelf, and I’m supporting those authors and publishers.\ \ 9. What books are you looking forward to releasing this year? How about movies?\ \ I’m so excited for Worry Box by Chris Panatier, Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle, and, of course, Kiss Slay Replay from Rachel Harrison, who is an autobuy author for me. Movie wise my most anticipated was Ready or Not 2 and I loved it! I’m also looking forward to Supergirl though Woman of Tomorrow wrecked me at times.\ \ 10. Did you have a playlist that you listened to when writing your book?\ \ Yes, and I have a Spotify playlist available for it here. In particular, Chvrches’ Screen Violence album features a lot.\ \ Thank you again, Mikayla, for allowing me to do this interview! You can follow Mikayla on Instagram at mik_randolph.](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/hpT2JVTsc25eJQ6nRMiO/)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Mikayla Randolph

13 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • May 4

Welcome back to another What I'm Reading This Week.\ \ Last week was a tad hectic and I didn't get a chance to post what I was reading, so I figured I'd do a brief summary of last week and then move on to this week.\ \ LAST WEEK\ \ \ \ Not Your Final Girl by Mikayla Randolph-- A fun slasher with some killer twists\ \ \ \ Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier--A classic for a reason! I enjoyed this one.\ \ \ \ The Last Witch by C.J. Cooke-- A haunting tale of how men take religion and weaponized it as a method of controlling/harming women. \ \ THIS WEEK\ \ \ \ I just finished Strange Buildings by Uketsu and Loved it! I love the mystery and puzzles the book has for the reader to try and figure out! I love books that involve the reader.\ \ \ \ I'm also currently reading Frostbite by Jill Palmer which is FANTASTIC and def needs to go on some radars! It's a post apocalyptic novel with zombie esq monsters and a protagonist who is a diabetic. It's really well done. It releases tomorrow and I can't wait to talk about it.\ \ \ \ I'm listening to Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang. So far I am enjoying it and can't wait to see where it goes.\ \ \ \ Next on my tbr is The Wax Child by Olga Ravn which takes place during a witch trial! \ \ What are you reading this week?

What I'm Reading This Week

7 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Apr 29

May is a big month in horror! \ \ My debut short horror story will be featured in @gravebelles Of Plag

May is a big month in horror!

My debut short horror story will be featured in @gravebelles Of Plagues and Blasphemy: A Medieval Horror Anthology, releasing May 5th!

And look at all these beautiful books! What are you looking forward to this month?

#horrorbooks #horrorbookstagram #horror

30 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Mar 8

\ \ I thought it would be fun to showcase all the Arcs I've received both digitally and physically! This is always changing, with more constantly being added because I can't say no haha!\ \ Starting with Digital. These book have either been recieved via netgalley or directly from the author/publisher.\ \ Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher--In 1899, a woman accepts the job of illustrating a scientists collection of insects. Something strange is happening in the small South Carolina town, and Sonia must figure out what before she's the one under the knife. Releasing March 24th.\ \ Morsel by Carter Keane-- A property appraisal in the rural hills of Ohio gets Lou stuck in the throws of Appalachian Horror. Releases April 14th.\ \ Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker-- A house in Japan hold ghosts and deadly secrets. Told between two different timelines. Releases April 14th\ \ Molka by Monika Kim-- A woman seeks revenge as a hidden camera scandal destroys her life. Releases April 28th\ \ The Blood Year Daughter by GG Silverman-- A collection of dark fairytales. Releases April 28th\ \ Dark is When The Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce-- A missing sister and a secretive small town with deadly woods. Releases April 28th\ \ Not Your Final Girl by Mikalya Randolph-- Seven years after a prom night massacre, a group of friends/survivors host a reunion at a lakeside cabin. But when a masked murderer shows up and kills one of the group, they must fight to survive the night. Releases May 5th\ \ I Know a Place by Nat Cassidy-- A collection of short horror stories (including Rest Stop) by the amazing Nat Cassidy. Releases May 5th\ \ Dead Weight by Hildur Knutsdottir-- An unlikely friendship takes a dark turn. Releases May 26th\ \ Dopefoot by Joshua Millican-- A job on a cannibas farm isn't as chill as "Harmless" thought it would be. Tensions rise as both human and supernatural forces descend on the farm. Releases June 16th.\ \ Corpse de Ballet by Megan Kearny-- A ballet boarding school turns deadly in this Graphic novel similar to Suspiria and Black Swan. Releases July 7th\ \ Home Sick by Rhiannon Grist-- I have both the physcial and e-arc of this one. A woman's fresh start to a small remote cottage takes a sinister turn when her neighbor begins acting off. Releases July 14th.\ \ Meat Bees by Dane Erbach-- A trip to the Smoky Mountains to care for her dad turns deadly when Wasps begin eating people. Releases August 4th.\ \ She's A Doll by Barbara Truelove-- A murdered woman possesses a antique porcelain doll to see revenge. Releases October 6th\ \ What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne-- When her best friend goes missing, Petra must plunge deep into the chasm at the edge of the city. But she's unaware the true horrors beneath. Releases October 6th.\ \ Physical Arcs\ \ Bitter Bloom by Teagan Olivia King-- A woman must brave the dark wood in hopes to bring her mother back from the dead. Accompanying her is a Lord and ghost. Betrayal and love lurks within. Releases March 1oth\ \ Monumental by Adam Nevill-- A kayak trip goes wrong for a group of friends who quickly find themselves having to survive nature and supernatural forces. Releases April 2nd.\ \ Carrion Crow by Heather Parry-- Strange, intense, and darkly beautiful, this haunting gothic novel from award-winning author Heather Parry is a story of mothers and daughters, and the dual capacity for both great kindness and unfathomable cruelty. Releases July 3rd.\ \ Partially Devoured by Daniel Kraus-- Partially Devoured uses a frame-by-frame deep dive into Night of the Living Dead to produce a kaleidoscopic cultural investigation of the film's importance and to examine the author's early life of rural isolation and local violence. Releases March 13th\ \ Do we have any Arcs in common?](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/Sdg1x0GnDrlpJVnljRTD/)